--New head coach Flip Saunders has started filling out his coaching staff, and in a sense you could say that there is a local flair to what he's done so far. Randy Wittman was drafted by the Bullets with the 22nd pick in 1983. Most recently he was a member of Saunders' staff in Minnesota. Also joining Saunders as a member of the staff is just retired Sam Cassell. This will be the Baltimore native's first foray into coaching.

--After being one of the better scoring teams in the league for a number of seasons, the Wizards, minus so many players at one time or another, found it hard to score points at all. Conversely, their poor defense became a more pronounced problem than it had been in prior seasons.

The situation was so dire that early on rookie C JaVale McGee was being compared to Dwight Howard. McGee is very athletic but at the same time he is very raw. He could develop into a good player, perhaps even an All-Star. However, that day is a long way off.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "He is going to be a good addition to the staff." -- G Gilbert Arenas on newly named assistant coach Sam Cassell.